'Til We Meet Again

     Project Sunday fourteen foot bug compromised center beam chunk replacement; Saturday midnight laundry/shower finish, then dinner; to die for spring day derail.  Final step rot extirpation awaits journey return.  Lazy day, hike southwest toward tony residential neighborhoods.  More demure, blushing sisters surround splay leg white rhody beauty near south side's Churchill high school.  Azalea, rhododendron brilliant blossoms joyously compete: prefer understated.
     Landscape slopes upward south Swett Lodge's valley floor, up to - locally 'Snob Hill' - beautiful valley/mountain view heights.  East, well beyond Cougar hot springs 45 miles distant, up Mackenzie River valley; snow cap apparitions rise above foot hills/emerald city downtown, crystal clear day.

     Trek west/down; traverse mighty Amazon ... Creek.  Piranhas here: human, smoke crack.

       Batch ferns Scrap Jim brought round, comliest; welcome addition east side's

 

growing Zen garden. 

     Already dim memory; yeah: huff, puff, jack, hammer, bludgeon, nail those perimeter joists; slip treated 2x6 sill plate, sill sealer underneath - just that easy, huh!  Start front west corner, work perimeter joist back, then sill plate.  Next jack bath floor, insert perimeter joist, then raise whole back side by stub joists, insert sill plate to west corner cajoling, nudging, 4x4 ramming, tweaking, aligning wall/subfloor/perimeter joist whole way. 
     Perimeter joist/sill plate renewed, temporary support wall finished: another late night augment front porch wood stash, 4x4 stack.

Remember how it looks without: near year!

     Crawl Swett Lodge under stretch string 'tween front/back foundation tops along new west beam: make straight, height appropriate.  Chain saw perimeter joist vents, hear distinct CRACK! cutting second from west front; clear floor runs off a lot from new beam to wall; finally (!) run string along foundation, reveal 3/4 inch low spot.

Siding undulates snake like, prompts replacement speculation.  Noodle solutions.  Tear out perimeter joist, custom fit 2x8 replace?  Hate redundant rework.  Further noodle, spawn elegant, simple solution.  Rip nine foot long four inch wide wedges from 2x4: remnants below.  Junk price thrift sale circle saw does me proud: custom hammer flatten tray; redrill factory blade angle setting holes, allow true ninety degree cut - baby's as good as Milwaukee, Makita.  Mark 2x4 wedge line; stand 2x4 beside 4x4; cut one side, blade buried, grinding nine feet inch by inch; flip 2x4; mark; finish cut; repeat.  Jack west front house by stub joists,

drive nine foot long four inch wide 3/4" to zero wedge between sill plate/perimeter joist so perimeter joist/stub joists bear on wedge (zero by electric conduit, 3/4" by vent),

 same deal toward front (zero at house front),

insert 1x6x3' (measures 3/4 inch thick) just south (right) second vent between wedges,

straighten Swett Lodge out, by gum!  Imagine foundation settle occur first ten years or so: hasn't been this straight over three score years.  Nice not feel sea sick looking out windows: level sills now curb/other building concur.  Keen eye will note roof line lump just beyond electric mast: final section kitchen wall removal should ameliorate.  Staple light/air permitting fabric over sawn vents, lightly nail uncut salvage siding sections 'tween 'til 1x12 bevel cedar siding finalize lower course.  Good paint job now will go long way revitalize Swett Lodge appearance.  Also note flat roof: Swett Lodge back on its own feet, roof/ceiling flatten - still require further support - more than expected.  Sweet!

       Temp wall toast, move cook stove final spot beside kitchen wall remnant: good cook west window view.  Ultimately truncate to half wall during west side gut/rewire, add narrow prep counter under window where coats hang: Chop Parkside.   

Enjoy round kitchen table, circle saw pie slice edit, rework round stove.

Just these few weeks shy summer solstice (!) Swett Lodge sunlit, ablaze near eight pm.

     Slowly, inexorably - just as grass colonizes bare earth - Swett Lodge's ten thousand piece puzzle comes together.  Some pieces surprise - circle table round stove, roof/ceiling rectification; some plain old hard work - rotten floor system.  Complete, that work opens myriad project doors, none nearly grueling as weeks long floor renovation effort.

Month's journey return, full summer ahead, most remaining efforts two-three days max, expect much Swett Lodge progress.  Owe few days, maybe week, replace center beam, final level floor, finalize piers; then - with God's grace - things Swett Lodge will clip along.  Be prepared.

     And well.

     Peace.